GRAPHIC CONTENT: Horrible common diseases

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: Take a look at these common conditions in some of their worst forms. If you're squeamish look away now.

Cestoda (Tapeworm) a condition where parasites live in your small intestine for years at a time, laying eggs and feasting off host blood and feces

PA REAL LIFE

Ryan's small cut was treated at he doctors

One doctor, Dr Steven Aviles, saw the small cut and realised what it was – necrotizing fasciitis. This is when a flesh-eating bug enters the body through a tiny graze, eating away at the skin and causing excruciating pain.

He was given antibiotics and immediately rushed for surgery to cut out the infection.

Ryan said: "Dr Aviles saved my life. After he noticed the cut he said I needed surgery straight away to remove the infection.

"But as quickly as they cut it out, it spread. It was a race against time."

Over the next five weeks all of Mr Lankford's right bicep was sliced off. It was devastating for the father who played a lot of lot of basketball.

"I underwent 10 lots of surgery," he said. "The infection kept returning. It was cut away but came back and came back - it spread and spread.

"Finally, after five weeks in hospital – some of which I can't remember, and with lots of antibiotics I was finally well enough to come home."

PA REAL LIFE

Ryan bares the scars of his treatment on his arm

However, he was very weak and needed to relearn how to do things with his right arm.

"I had to learn to how to tie my shoes, put on my pants and even open jars again," he said.

Mr Lankford said he is grateful to be alive. His arm has now completely healed but is very wasted compared to his left arm and hurts a lot of the time.

He is keen to raise awareness of his ordeal.

"I can't believe something as simple as a cut from a rusty tool box led to me spending weeks in hospital and losing half my arm," he said.

"But I also know other people have died from the illness. So in some ways I am lucky.